Argentum nitricum, Full of gas

de Dr. Abhay Talwalkar

Case:
A 21 year student came for the treatment of sour eructation's and vomiting.
She also had a history of irregular menses.

Associated complaints:
Headache, which was better by vomiting.
Problems aggravated if there is any irregularity in the time she eats (if she eats at her regular time she is o.k.), but that is not possible as she has to attend college and classes etc.
3-4 days before her menses her abdomen gets distended fully and she feels uncomfortable.
Aggravation if there is any tension like the tension of exams.
Better not eating.

Uncomfortable means?“I cannot tolerate any thing tight; I have to loosen my clothes.”
“The abdomen is full of gas and it comes up here, I don’t feel comfortable till I pass it out. There are loud eructations”
Anxiety about exams and worries if she will I do well on a paper.“I am successful, but there is a fear that I may fail.”
“I am recognized because of my performance, what if I get less marks?”
“If in the class someone else answers and I don’t, then I feel that I am inferior.”
“I am not peaceful, something is always going on in my mind.”
“What will people think about me?”
“At times I feel I am inferior, I am not good looking.”
“I always want to make it a point that I am recognized by my performance.”
“If I am wrong I will accept it, but if I am not then I can make people cry.”
“I feel that I am weak inside.”
“The problems have aggravated since the time I had a problem with one of my cousins, he meant a lot to me and I would get along very well with him. He then got married and his wife was not very understanding, so we broke up.”
“I always missed a big brother, he would have protected me and he would have pampered me.”
“If I don’t maintain my position I will feel guilty, I will not be able to face people.”
“There is a certain impression about me and if I fail that image will be disturbed.”
“I like to always be different and I am happy if I can do it.”
“For a blood donation out of 50 girls only I was selected. I felt that it was an achievement.”
“I like to achieve things, but at the same time I have fear of losing control.”
“I have lot of gas. The whole abdomen is bloated and I don’t feel comfortable till I pass the gas.”
“I cannot enjoy like the other people. I feel restricted and I feel suffocated, as if there is not enough space.
“I feel that I am in a spooky place where there is no light and no air I am being pressed from both the sides and there is no place to go out.”

Cannot enjoy:“All my friends are deciding to go out and have fun and then I don’t want to go because if I go out then we eat something and again the trouble starts.”
“I feel bad because I cannot enjoy like my friends”
“I want a life where I should be able to do all the things I want and have no problems, but after some time I feel that it is enough, what will people think ……… she is enjoying herself”
“I feel that with all this success I may become egoistic.”

Talk about this spooky place?“It’s a place like maybe a Kalapani jail, or maybe like a mother’s womb.”
“I must get out of this place as soon as I can or I will suffocate.”
“Even when I am talking about this I have started feeling the suffocation.”

Mothers womb?“Like a baby is in the womb, that place is also dark and the only communication that the child has with the world is through the mother.”

How will one feel in the mother’s womb?“Very nice, very protected”
“For some time it is o.k., but then there will not be enough space.”

What will happen when there is not enough space?“Suffocation, it will try to get out as fast as possible.”

Talk about this suffocation:“There is a lot of gas, and it makes me feel uneasy, and suffocated.”
“The gas must go off in a blast and I must be relived.”

She received several doses of Arg-n. when required.
She is much better, can tolerate all types of food with no gaseous problems.
She did very well on the exams and there was not much anxiety before the exams.
The patient is still under my care and presently appearing for her final medical examinations.